Anna's Daybreak News

_{Just facts, you think for yourself}

Friday, 5:19 AM

February 21, 2025

Good morning news friend! Stay in the loop with the latest updates, staying aware of the swiftly changing world around you. 📰🌟

Would you like to see the poll results and comments from our previous edition? We had so many rich comments that we had to break them down in two parts. (1) Click here to see what other readers had to say about: spending in the federal government and the rift between President Trump and President Zelensy. (2) Click here to read people’s opinions about: the slowing in homebuilding, the Bibas family, quantum computing and more!

Cartels Terrorist Organizations

The US State Department designated eight transnational crime groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).

This list includes Tren de Aragua, Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), Cártel de Sinaloa, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), Cártel del Noreste, La Nueva Familia Michoacana, Cártel de Golfo, and Cárteles Unidos.

The Cártel de Sinaloa is a top producer of fentanyl. CJNG is notorious for its brutal attacks on Mexican authorities, including military-grade assaults and drone strikes. Tren de Aragua (from Venezuela) is involved in human trafficking and migrant smuggling.

These designations aim to disrupt their financial operations through sanctions and to block US persons from engaging with them.

Sources: State.gov, APNews, NNN, CNA, MirageNews, NBC, Reuters.

Walmart's Q4 Results

Walmart reported Q4 revenues of $180.55 billion, surpassing estimates by $440 million. Adjusted earnings per share reached 66 cents, exceeding the expected 64 cents.

E-commerce sales rose 20% in the US, marking the 11th consecutive quarter of double-digit growth. Comparable sales in the US rose 4.6%, while Sam's Club recorded a 6.8% increase.

In fiscal 2025, Walmart expects net sales to grow 3% to 4%, with adjusted operating income increasing 3.5% to 5.5%, impacted by a 150 basis point headwind from acquiring Vizio. Last year's adjusted operating income grew 9.7%.

CEO Doug McMillon expressed confidence in Walmart’s strategy but noted that tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada could affect consumer spending.

Sources: CNBC, FinancialTimes, Forbes, PBB, RetailDive.

US Job Market Stability

Initial jobless claims rose by 5,000, reaching 219,000. Continuing claims also had an increase of 24,000, totaling 1.869 million.

For 2025, weekly applications have fluctuated between 203,000 and 223,000. Economists suggest that impacts from federal layoffs and budget cuts have yet to materialize in the job statistics.

The federal workforce, excluding military and postal employees, consists of about 2.3 million individuals.

Moreover, the four-week moving average of initial claims has dropped slightly to 215,250.

Sources: Reuters, FxStreet, IE, ActionForex, UPI, Bloomberg.

The Girl that Scammed JPMorgan Out of $175 Million

JPMorgan Chase claims it was misled into buying Frank, a college financial-planning startup, for $175 million in 2021. Prosecutors allege that Charlie Javice, the founder, and COO Olivier Amar fabricated user data to inflate Frank's value.

Javice claimed the platform had 4.25 million users, while actual numbers were under 300,000. Prosecutors assert that Javice and Amar hired a data scientist to create fake accounts, misleading JPMorgan regarding Frank's customer base.

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon described the deal as a "huge mistake." The bank's internal review was criticized for being insufficient, costing only $1,695.

Javice reportedly received $21 million from the acquisition and was set to receive a $20 an additional million bonus. Now, she faces charges including bank fraud, which carries a potential 30-year sentence. Both defendants pleaded not guilty.

Sources: Bloomberg, Fortune, PYMNTS, Benzinga, BizJournals.

Glaciers Melting Away

Ice loss from glaciers worldwide has surged by 36% over the past decade compared to the previous one.

Researchers report that from 2000 to 2023, glaciers lost 7 trillion tons (6.5 trillion metric tons) of ice, averaging 273 billion tons (231 billion metric tons) per year. This rate increased from 231 billion tons annually (2000-2011) to 346 billion tons annually (2012-2023), more than doubling.

The Alpine glaciers suffered the highest percentage reduction, losing 39% of their volume since 2000. Projections suggest these glaciers could diminish by over 90% by 2100.

The total glacier loss equates to 18 mm of sea-level rise. Contributing factors include rising global temperatures and atmospheric conditions such as Saharan dust, which darkens glacier surfaces and accelerates melting.

Sources: ScienceAlert, APNews, TUDelft, Nature, ESA,TNW.

Mouth Bacteria and Alzheimer’s

Researchers suggest that certain bacteria in the mouth, particularly Porphyromonas gingivalis, may contribute to Alzheimer’s pathology. These bacteria were found in the brains of deceased Alzheimer’s patients.

In experiments with mice, oral infections led to brain colonization and increased production of amyloid beta, a common Alzheimer's marker.

Another study analyzed 110 participants over 50, linking bacterial presence to cognitive health. Those with high levels of beneficial bacteria, like Neisseria and Haemophilus, displayed better memory and attention.

Conversely, Porphyromonas was linked to memory issues, while Prevotella was associated with low nitrite levels, a potential risk factor for Alzheimer’s, especially in individuals carrying the APOE4 gene.

Sources: SciTechDaily, BBC, ScienceAlert, Women’sHealth, TBS, TheAge.

“How superb to become wise without being boring; how sad to be boring without being wise.”

Did you know we wrote an in-depth deep dive on Iran’s nuclear program? It’s 20 pages long, packed with insights, and has received rave reviews. If you’re up for a detailed, action-packed read, check it out here!

Baked with love,

Anna Eisenberg ❤️